Ohio Town Mourns 6 Teens Killed in SUV Crash

By SEO Admin on March 11, 2013

USA TODAY - March 11, 2013-According a sports utility vehicle veered into a guardrail Sunday morning and flipped over into a swampy pond in northeastern Ohio, killing six of the eight teenage passengers, the state highway patrol said. The Honda Passport was licensed to a resident of Youngstown, about 20 miles away. It was unknown where the teens were headed when the crash happened at about 7:00 a.m., and it wasn't clear how long they had been out. Authorities cited an unspecified "high rate" of speed in the crash, but would not speculate on whether alcohol or drugs were involved, the Associated Press reported.

Killed in the crash were 19-year-old Alexis Cayson, 14-year-old Andrique Bennett, 17-year-old Brandon Murray, and Kirklan Behner, Daylan Ray, and Ramone White, all 15-years-old. Officials identified Cayson as the driver. The article goes onto say that two survivors, Brian Henry, 18, and Asher Lewis, 15, escaped from the submerged vehicle and ran a quarter-mile to a home to call 911, the highway patrol said. They were treated for bruising and other injuries and released.

The accident happened just before 7 a.m. Sunday. The Honda Passport went off the side of the road and overturned just south of the city of Warren, about 60 miles east of Cleveland. Investigators said it came to rest upside down in the swamp and sank with five of the victims trapped inside. A sixth, who was thrown from the SUV during the accident, was found under it when the vehicle was taken out of the water. A cold water rescue team was deployed to the scene and got five teens out of the submerged vehicle. Two of the teens, both 15, were brought to a hospital "in full cardiac arrest," and were pronounced dead at the hospital. They were treated for hypothermic drowning trauma, indicating they had been submerged in cold water.